Kenya’s Raila Odinga quits election re-run

Mr Odinga said his withdrawal would give the electoral commission enough time to introduce reforms that will help deliver a more credible election.

The Supreme Court annulled the result of the original 8 August poll, which saw Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner, after finding irregularities.

But Mr Kenyatta says he is ready to proceed with the new vote as planned.

The country’s electoral commission said Mr Kenyatta had won the August vote by a margin of 1.4 million votes – or 54% of the total, compared to Mr Odinga’s 44%.

Kenya’s vice-president, William Ruto, has now called on the commission to declare Mr Kenyatta president as a result of Mr Odinga’s announcement.

The election re-run was due to take place on 26 October, but Mr Odinga said on Tuesday: “We have come to the conclusion that there is no intention on the part of the IEBC [electoral commission] to undertake any changes to its operations and personnel… All indications are that the election scheduled for 26 October will be worse than the previous one.”

As a result, he said, “considering the interests of the people of Kenya, the region and the world at large” it was best that he withdrew from the race.

Mr Odinga’s coalition party believes the election will have to be cancelled as a result of his withdrawal, allowing “adequate time to undertake the reforms necessary to conduct an election that is in strict conformity with the constitution, the relevant laws and the constitution”.

But Mr Kenyatta, speaking at a rally in the southern town of Voi, said: “We have no problem going back to elections. We are sure we will get more votes than the last time.”

He added: “We are also telling him it is the people’s right to choose their leader. It is their sovereign right to choose their leader of choice.”

Uncharted territory

By Dickens Olewe, BBC News

The withdrawal could be a strategy for Raila Odinga to exit the political scene on his own terms.

The annulment of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s victory in the 8 August election was a much-needed political high for Mr Odinga.

He felt vindicated for challenging the election and pushed for changes to the electoral system as a condition for his participation in the re-run.

The electoral commission has rejected the changes he demanded, largely because of contractual agreements with the companies providing key services for the election.

With President Kenyatta’s party having won a majority of MPs in both houses of parliament, it is likely that Mr Odinga was headed for another defeat and that would be too much for a man, who has been nicknamed the enigma.

The legal consequences of Mr Odinga’s withdrawal are unclear.

Constitutional lawyers disagree on the way forward and whether the 26 October election can still take place and if, despite his withdrawal, Mr Odinga will still be on the ballot.

Although many Kenyans are jaded by the never-ending political drama, they will now have to belt-up for a drive further into unchartered territory.

Mr Odinga’s opposition coalition – the National Super Alliance (NASA) – has previously made clear its participation in the election was contingent on reforms being made.

But Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says it has made the necessary changes.

Prominent opposition senator James Orengo has called on people to protest on Wednesday, using the slogan “no reform, no elections”. BBC News

Nonsense Kenya had peaceful elections in 2012 and this year thanks to the work Odinga had done in implementing the reforms. If Uhuru is allowed to have his way then the country will slid back to the era of the de facto one-party state and vote rigging!

Who is not power hungry? Do you want him to go into an election with the same commission which rigged in the first place? He is not an idiot to participate in a rigged election.

wilbert

The foolishness of some of our people is breathtaking, after 37 years of rigged elections they are the ones who want Zimbabwe to go into next year’s elections with no reform even when there is evidence Zanu PF is already rigging the vote!

Dont run your mouth before you find out the current state of affairs in Kenya ,the situation is not conducive for a free and fair re run coz the electoral board is refusing to comply with a court order to make electoral reforms ,he is not as naive as MT who plunges himself into an election without genuine reforms.

Dont run your mouth before you find out the current state of affairs in Kenya ,the situation is not conducive for a free and fair re run coz the electoral board is refusing to comply with a court order to make electoral reforms ,he is not as naive as MT who plunges himself into an election without genuine reforms.

The one thing no one can ever take away from Raila Odinga is that he did implement many democratic reforms during his term as Prime Minister in the GNU. For the first time since Kenya gain her independence the country had its first ever free, fair and credible elections in 2012. Whilst this year’s elections were not free, fair and credible as the High Court has found out still it was only because of Odinga’s reforms making the courts independent that they had the independence to make such a ruling.

The people of Kenya must now think long and hard about what they want because the decision they make now is not only important for the here and now but will have serious political ramification for generations to come. If they allow elections to go ahead with no reforms then they have accept the status quo of the incumbent regime tampering with the electoral process. Uhuru Kenyatta will never implement any reforms and fire the people who helped him rig and win the elections.

If the people stand firm and demand the reforms then they will have hope of future elections being free, fair and credible.

As for Raila Odinga, there is really no point in him contesting an election that he already KNOWS is flawed and illegal! To do so is insane!

ok, what have you done clever boy, remove Mugabe then to show u are also not an Idiot

lot chitakasha

He has done a Tsvangirai….

wilbert

Tsvangirai only withdraw when his life was in danger not because the reforms were not implemented! Tsvangirai is contesting next year’s elections even thou not even one reform has been implemented and forgetting his own party congress resolution of “No reform, no elections!”

Rwendo

I’m sorry to say this but we Zimbabweans for now are a lost cause. You can see that people will be taken to the cleaners once again next year, willingly. And if any opposition leaders try to do what Odinga has done (boycott on principle), they will be strung up by their own followers.

wilbert

MDC contested the July 2013 elections and what did the ordinary people get nothing. Instead they lost the chance to get the reforms implemented. People who want the elections to go ahead without reforms have no clue what is good for the nation.

lot chitakasha

The margin of initial defeat was high..was he going to claw back?..I doubt it…but knowing politicians, he will get into a GNU…they are talking behind the scenes no doubt.

When one reads international use this Kenyatta kept threatening the Judiciary like a dictator and what is very surprise one reads the UN is telling Kenya to have this re-run and as usual not a word from the All Useless Club (AU) they should have been the first to intervene after all the african leaders are known to tell outsiders not to intervene because they can run things it just shows what a mess this continent is in and members of Civil Society and Human Rights Organisations (who are the voice of the ordinary people) need to up their game and stand up to organisations like the AU and SADC if things go wrong